There are a variety of conventional surgical implant devices and methodologies for stabilizing/fusing the facet joint of the spine. Most of these devices and methodologies involve drilling a single hole between and across the articulating surfaces of the facet joint, while un-translated/non-distracted, and inserting a plug or other stabilization structure in the drilled hole. Some of these device and methodologies involve placing a bolt or other retention structure through (i.e. substantially perpendicularly across) or about the articulating surfaces of the facet joint while un-translated/non-distracted.
For example, one such surgical implant device that is disposed in holes drilled between and across the articulating surfaces of an un-translated facet joint is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 8,623,053 (Vestgaarden, issued Jan. 7, 2014), which provides a spinal facet fusion implant that includes an elongated main body having a distal end, a proximal end, and a longitudinal axis extending between the distal end and the proximal end. The main body has a cross-sectional profile characterized by a primary axis and a secondary axis. At least one stabilizer extends radially outwardly from the main body in the secondary axis. The main body has a length along the primary axis that is less than the combined width of the spinal facets making up a facet joint. The stabilizer has a width that is sized to make a press fit into the gap between the spinal facets making up a facet joint.
Another such surgical implant device that is disposed in a hole drilled between and across the articulating surfaces of an un-translated facet joint is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 8,162,981 (Vestgaarden, issued Apr. 24, 2012), which provides a spinal facet fusion implant including: an elongated body having a distal end, a proximal end, and a longitudinal axis extending between the distal end and the proximal end, the elongated body having a cross-sectional profile characterized by a primary axis and a secondary axis; and at least one stabilizer extending radially outwardly from the elongated body in the secondary axis; wherein the elongated body has a length along the primary axis which is less than the combined width of the spinal facets making up a facet joint; and further wherein the at least one stabilizer has a width which is sized to make a press fit into the gap between the spinal facets making up a facet joint.
These conventional devices and methodologies, however, suffer from a number of significant shortcomings and often fail to adequately address surgeon concerns and patient symptoms.